Connecticut governor looking to bring NHL’s Coyotes to Hartford
Hartford Whalers captain Kevin Dineen waves to the fans after the Whalers final NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 13, 1997, in Hartford, Conn., against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday, May 19, 2023, he's planning to meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility of moving the Arizona Coyotes to Hartford. Connecticut has not had an NHL team since the Hartford Whalers left for North Carolina in 1997. (AP Photo/Steve Miller, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/RICHARD MEI]
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday he’s planning to meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility of moving the Arizona Coyotes to Hartford. Lamont told reporters during a news availability that he hopes the meeting can take place sometime next week. He said Hartford provides a passionate market and a government that would be a willing partner with the team. Talk of a relocation for the Coyotes has taken on steam since voters in Tempe, Arizona this week rejected referendum for an $2.3 billion entertainment district that would allow the franchise to build a new arena there.
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FILE - Hartford Whalers fan Jennifer Rice cries as she holds up a sign after the Hartford Whalers final NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 13, 1997, in Hartford, Conn., against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday, May 19, 2023, he's planning to meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility of moving the Arizona Coyotes to Hartford. Connecticut has not had an NHL team since the Hartford Whalers left for North Carolina in 1997. (AP Photo/Steve Miller, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/STEVE MILLER
FILE- Hartford Whalers players salute the fans at the end of their final NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 13, 1997, in Hartford, Conn., against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday, May 19, 2023, he's planning to meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility of moving the Arizona Coyotes to Hartford. Connecticut has not had an NHL team since the Hartford Whalers left for North Carolina in 1997. (AP Photo/Steve Miller, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/STEVE MILLER